From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Purse \Purse\, n. [OE. purs, pors, OF. burse, borse, bourse, F.
bourse, LL. bursa, fr. Gr. ? hide, skin, leather. Cf.
{Bourse}, {Bursch}, {Bursar}, {Buskin}.]
1. A small bag or pouch, the opening of which is made to draw
together closely, used to carry money in; by extension,
any receptacle for money carried on the person; a wallet;
a pocketbook; a portemonnaie. --Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
Who steals my purse steals trash. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. Hence, a treasury; finances; as, the public purse.
[1913 Webster]
3. A sum of money offered as a prize, or collected as a
present; as, to win the purse; to make up a purse.
[1913 Webster]
4. A specific sum of money; as:
(a) In Turkey, the sum of 500 piasters.
(b) In Persia, the sum of 50 tomans.
[1913 Webster]
{Light purse}, or {Empty purse}, poverty or want of
resources.
{Long purse}, or {Heavy purse}, wealth; riches.
{Purse crab} (Zool.), any land crab of the genus {Birgus},
allied to the hermit crabs. They sometimes weigh twenty
pounds or more, and are very strong, being able to crack
cocoanuts with the large claw. They chiefly inhabit the
tropical islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, living
in holes and feeding upon fruit. Called also {palm crab}.
{Purse net}, a fishing net, the mouth of which may be closed
or drawn together like a purse. --Mortimer.
{Purse pride}, pride of money; insolence proceeding from the
possession of wealth. --Bp. Hall.
{Purse rat}. (Zool.) See {Pocket gopher}, under {Pocket}.
{Sword and purse}, the military power and financial resources
of a nation.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Purse \Purse\, v. i.
To steal purses; to rob. [Obs. & R.]
[1913 Webster]
I'll purse: . . . I'll bet at bowling alleys. --Beau. &
Fl.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Purse \Purse\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Pursed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Pursing}.]
1. To put into a purse.
[1913 Webster]
I will go and purse the ducats straight. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. To draw up or contract into folds or wrinkles, like the
mouth of a purse; to pucker; to knit.
[1913 Webster]
Thou . . . didst contract and purse thy brow.
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
purse
n 1: a container used for carrying money and small personal
items or accessories (especially by women); "she reached
into her bag and found a comb" [syn: {bag}, {handbag},
{pocketbook}, {purse}]
2: a sum of money spoken of as the contents of a money purse;
"he made the contribution out of his own purse"; "he and his
wife shared a common purse"
3: a small bag for carrying money
4: a sum of money offered as a prize; "the purse barely covered
the winner's expenses"
v 1: contract one's lips into a rounded shape
2: gather or contract into wrinkles or folds; pucker; "purse
ones's lips" [syn: {purse}, {wrinkle}]
|
